AUTHOR'S NOTE: thank you Anonymous Guest for the review :)

Chapter 132: Visiting the Visitors.

"It's just life, not everything goes the way we want or planned it. But look at us now, how we grown since that bad experience. If anything, it was a sign for us to move on, live a better life."

-Madrox126, Nothing changes who we are

Acorn was hopping towards the burrow where the visitors were staying. They claimed to be Prince Rainbow's messengers; he obviously didn't believe such a ridiculous story, and he wanted to know what they were trying to accomplish, and maybe get them to help him with his plans. It was still early; hopefully they would already be up.

As he got closer to the burrow, he could hear voices, indicating that they were indeed up. He remained in the nearby run to listen their conversation undetected.

-"We went to the Watership Down warren," Bluesky was saying, "and we nearly killed an innocent kitten who was trying to fly like we said we could."

-"So what?" Raincloud replied with a scoff. "If he was stupid enough to try something like that, it's only a matter of time before he does something else that really does kill him. Perhaps he's dead right now."

-"Stop changing the subject. Then we went to the warren known as Efrafa, and we were lucky to escape with our lives."

-"And your point is...?"

-"After these two disastrous experiences, we agreed to give up our scheme, and lead an honest life, without tricking anyone."

-"Seriously? You bring this up again?" Raincloud was annoyed; this was clearly not the first time Bluesky had complained about this.

-"We were actually doing well as hlessil, but no! You had to get greedy, and talk me into carrying out this crazy scheme once more."

-"Look..."

-"No, YOU look!" Judging by his tone, Bluesky was furious. "Look at what you got ourselves into! Those two warrens were weird, but at least nobody died. This time..."

-"I don't think they believe us. They did say that Prince Rainbow is a lie..."

-"THAT'S what catches your attention? Don't you realize how messed-up this warren is? All those snares in the nearby bushes, not to mention all this talk about murders, kidnappings, annexations and crystal gems. This has to be the worst warren we've ever visited."

-"It's not. What about the Club?"

Bluesky shuddered as he heard Raincloud mention the Club. He had done his best to forget about that terrible warren following their departure.

-"The river near the Club was filled with toxic waste, and the rabbits still drank there," Raincloud continued. "All the plants in the area also grew toxic."

-"Please stop," Bluesky begged.

-"The Chief with multiple personalities," Raincloud said, ignoring his partner's request. "The rabbit with a third eye on his tail. The blind and deaf owsla captain. The three-eared doe. The kittens who smoke discarded white sticks from humans. The..."

-"I told you to stop!" Unable to take it anymore, Bluesky pounced on top of Raincloud. "Why do you keep talking?"

-"I asked you to stop talking about how this is all my fault, but you didn't, so I started talking about something you don't want to hear about. Regardless, we're here now, so let's make the most of it."

-"Am I interrupting you?"

Both rabbits turned towards the source of the voice, and saw Acorn sitting in the burrow's entrance.

-"Oh, no no, it's fine," Bluesky said, returning in-character. "Have you all decided on your new Chief, who will become the next El-ahrairah?"

-"No, we haven't decided anything. Also, I overheard your entire conversation, you can drop the act."

-"If you weren't such a whiner," Raincloud said, trying in vain to escape his partner's grip, "we wouldn't be in this situation."

-"I suppose you'll be wanting us to leave, then?" Bluesky asked, hopping off his friend.

-"On the contrary," Acorn said. "You two are clearly talented schemers and liars, these skills would be very useful under the circumstances."

-"What do you want from us?" Raincloud asked nervously.

-"I want you to keep pretending you're Prince Rainbow's messengers for now. This will be of great help to catch the murderer."

-"Right, about that..." Bluesky started to say, but was cut off by Acorn.

-"I hear someone else coming, see you later!"

Before the two tricksters could ask any further questions about the murder, Acorn had already hopped away.

-"So...do we do what he asked?" Raincloud asked.

-"I don't know if we have a choice."

-"Ah, I see you two are up."

Bluesky and Raincloud's discussion was interrupted once more as they heard another voice. Looking at the entrance, they saw Toadflax staring at them, looking very smug.

-"Yes, we are," Raincloud replied. "What can we do for you?"

-"I'll let you know, but first, there are a few things I feel obligated to mention. I know you're not Prince Rainbow's messengers, and this is all just an obvious trick."

-"He said he wouldn't tell anyone..." Bluesky mumbled, thinking back at the conversation with Acorn. "What an untrustworthy buck..."

-"What are you talking about?" Bluesky's statement had left Toadflax very confused. "Nobody told me anything, it's just that I don't believe in Prince Rainbow, it's all a series of obvious lies. But assuming he really does exist (which he doesn't, but let's assume), he would be friends with the Black Rabbit of Inlé, right? Assuming Inlé exists too, which he doesn't either."

-"Yes...I suppose they would be friends..." Raincloud said, unsure what Toadflax was trying to accomplish.

-"Actually, no," Bluesky interjected. "The Black Rabbit doesn't have 'friends'. But he and Prince Rainbow are acquaintances."

-"Do you have to correct me all the time?" Raincloud asked in annoyance.

-"But they know each other, right?" Toadflax said.

-"You could say that," Bluesky said.

-"Then please please help me!" Toadflax's smug tone completely vanished, replaced by one of pure desperation. Bluesky and Raincloud simply stared, struggling to understand this sudden change in attitude.

-"Wait...what?"

-"I need your help to contact a dead rabbit," Toadflax explained. "His name is Cowslip; these are troubling times, and I need his infinite wisdom and guidance, so I can do the right thing."

-"But we're messengers of Prince Rainbow, not the Black Rabbit," Bluesky pointed out.

-"Besides, didn't you say that you don't believe in either Prince Rainbow, or the Black Rabbit?" Raincloud added.

-"If that's what it takes to hear Cowslip's sweet voice again, I'm willing to believe," Toadflax said.

Bluesky and Raincloud looked at each other. Bluesky placed his paw on Raincloud's nose, telling him to stay silent.

-"This is an unexpected request, and it is not to be taken lightly," he said solemnly. "These are decided on a case-by-case basis. We will have to contact Prince Rainbow, and once we have heard back from him, we will get back to you."

-"Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you!" Toadflax's face suddenly lit up, filled with joy at the prospect of speaking with Cowslip again.

-"Just one question," Raincloud said. "Is Cowslip the one who was murdered?"

-"No, it's not him."

-"Who was murdered then?"

-"...I forgot his name." Toadflax was visibly embarrassed by his own answer, and started to step backwards out of the burrow. "I don't know what the others told you, but I'm not the killer. Looking forward to hearing back from you about Cowslip!"

By the time he had finished his sentence, Toadflax was completely gone.

-"You do realize," Raincloud said, "that there's no way we could talk with a dead rabbit."

-"Pointing out the obvious, once again, I see."

-"You don't get it, do you? What will we tell him once we fail to contact what's-his-name?"

-"That Prince Rainbow didn't allow it? Why do you think I made up this story about the case-by-case basis?"

-"He's just going to assume, correctly, that we're not who we say we are."

-"Shh."

-"Don't shush me, this is all your fault!"

-"There's someone else coming."

Raincloud listened carefully, and heard another rabbit approach. A few moments later, Flesca arrived at the burrow's entrance.

-"Good morning freaks! I trust you slept horribly last night?"

Neither Bluesky nor Raincloud spoke, taken aback by the unfriendly comment. Eventually realizing that she wouldn't get a response, Flesca continued.

-"Do either of you know a rabbit called Pimpernel?"

-"...who?" Bluesky asked.

-"All right, you don't know him. But anyway, he's bad news. He will cause trouble for all of us, and if anything happens..." She stared threateningly at the two visitors. "I will blame you."

-"Please," Raincloud begged. "That's not fair! We don't even know him!"

-"I'll still blame you. The alternative, is to kill him, before he hunts us down for revenge. Rainsky, you look like a fighter, you shouldn't have much trouble pulling it off."

-"We will have to ask Prince Rainbow..." Bluesky started to say, but was cut off.

-"Aw, forget him. What's he going to do if you disobey him? Turn you into a tree?"

-"The situation never arose before, we have to follow the proper protocols..."

-"Also, Bluecloud, you're pretty handsome," Flesca said, interrupting Bluesky once again. "Maybe we could become mates when this is all over."

Without waiting for a reply, Flesca hopped out of the burrow. Bluesky and Raincloud were left very confused, and the doe's inability to get their names right only made things worse.

-"So, which one of us is handsome?" Raincloud asked.

-"Me, of course," Bluesky said. "She's certainly not talking about you, you clueless fat oaf."

-"Hey! I'll let you know I've lost weight recently."

-"Also, are you forgetting that she asked you to kill this Pimpernel fellow?"

-"And I won't. Why would I? I don't even know him."

-"She will make things difficult for both of us if you don't."

-"She wouldn't get her lover in trouble."

-"But I don't want to mate with her!"

-"You make it sound like you have a choice. Like you said, she will cause us trouble otherwise."

-"I won't mate with her, just because you're too much of a coward to..."

-"Oh, a coward am I? I dare YOU to kill Pimpernel then!"

-"I say we take our chances. She seems mad, there's a limit to the damage she can cause."

-"Do you really want to risk it? We really should just run away."

-"Like I said: coward."

-"Why you..."

Raincloud angrily smacked Bluesky in the ears. His companion responded by pouncing on him and biting his paw. Soon, the two rabbits were angrily battling each other.